Buddha’s Teachings

On today’s auspicious occasion of Buddha Pournima when Gautam Buddha was enlightened under the Bodhi Vruksha (tree), I would like to share a few of his teachings.

“The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”

“When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.”

“Doubt everything. Find your own light.”

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

“Talking about our problems is the greatest addiction. Talk about our joys.”

“Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: is it true? is it necessary? is it kind?”

“Failure is not the opposite of success. It is part of success.”

“Not everyone likes me, but not everyone matters.”

“There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desires.”

“Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.”

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

“Never say sorry for being honest.”

“Maturity is learning to walk away from people and situation that threaten your peace of mind, self respect, values, morals and self worth.”

“Satisfied life is better than successful life. Because our success is measured by others but our satisfaction is measured by our own soul, mind and heart.”

“Don’t compare your life to others. There is no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time.”

“Buddha was asked, “What you have gained from meditation?”

He replied, “Nothing!” However, Buddha said, “Let me tell you what I have lost: Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity, Fear of old age and Death.”

“Cutting people out of your life doesn’t mean you hate them, it simply means you respect yourself. Not everyone is meant to stay.”

“Time and circumstances can change at any time. Don’t hurt or evaluate anyone in life.”

“Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

“Give. But do not allow yourself to be used.

Love. But do not allow your heart to be abused.

Trust. But don’t be naive.

Listen. But don’t lose your own voice.”

“No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.”

“Never regret being a good person to the wrong people. Your behaviour says everything about you and their behaviour says everything about them.”

“Don’t carry your mistakes around with you. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones.”

“Honestly, I don’t have time to hate people who hate me because I am too busy loving people who love me.”

“Anyone who is not adding positivity to your life, should not be in it.”

“You only lose what you cling to.”

” “Sorry” works when a mistake is made but not when trust is broken. So in life, make mistakes but never break trust. Because forgiving is easy but forgetting and trusting again is sometimes impossible.”

“Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again and you will be filled with joy.”

“The greatest prayer is patience.”

“Loneliness is dangerous. It’s addicting. Once you see how peaceful it is, you don’t want to deal with people.”

“Everyone comes into your life for a reason, some for good or bad, they may shape us, break us, but in the end, they make us who we are.”

“Be strong, but not rude.

Be kind, but not weak.

Be bold, but not bully.

Be humble, but not shy.

Be proud, but not arrogant.”

“Never get too attached to anyone unless they also feel the same towards you, because one sided expectations can mentally destroy you.”

“Anything which is troubling you, anything which is irritating you, that is your teacher.”

“Don’t be so quick to believe what you hear because lies spread faster than the truth.”

“One of the simplest ways to be happy is letting go of the things that make you sad.”

“If you are not happy here and now, you never will be.”

“What we think, we become.”

“Show respect even to people who don’t deserve it, not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours.”

“Life is such a great teacher that when you don’t learn a lesson, it will repeat it.

“Being a good person does not depend on your religion, status, race, colour, political views or culture. It depends on how you treat others.”

“When you truly care for someone, their mistakes never change our feelings, because it’s the mind that gets angry but the heart still cares.”

“If you find no one to support you on the spiritual path, walk alone.”

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

“To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”

“In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you live? How deeply did you let go?”

“Pain is certain. Suffering is optional.”

“Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind.”

“Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.”

“One moment can change a day. One day can change a life and one life can change the world.”

“Imagine that every person in the world is enlightened but you. They are all your teachers, each doing just the right things to help you.”

“If you are facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep on walking.”

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”

“If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart.”

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

“Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.”

“A good relationship is when someone accepts your past, supports your present, loves you and encourages your future.”

“He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.”

“Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.”

“If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.”

“Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”

“Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.”

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”

“Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.”

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you.”

“Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.”

“If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. Happiness lies ahead. Meditation is key.”

“To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.”

“If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.”

“Even the death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.”

“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.”

“The fact that you are struggling does not make you a burden. It doesn’t make you unlovable or undesirable or undeserving of care. It doesn’t make you too much or too sensitive or too needy. It makes you human.”

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”

~Happy Buddha Pournima!~